South Glastonbury Public Library In Need Of A New Roof

GLASTONBURY — — The South Glastonbury Public Library is a remnant from the past: An all-volunteer staff operates the small library from a former brick church. Patrons still flip through a card catalog to find books and sign their names in borrowed books as the due dates are stamped inside.

But the library has been closed since October because of a sagging roof that has library's board of directors struggling to settle on the best way to fix it.

Teri Barney, president of the library's board of directors, said a structural engineer has navigated the small space under the roof in search of the problem. But to find the exact cause, the roof on the 1828 former Methodist Church may need to be lifted. Until the building can be fully evaluated, the library will remain closed until it's deemed safe to enter.

"It's an old building," said longtime volunteer Eleanor Reale. "You start with one thing and you find more things wrong."

Barney said some of the timbers that support the roof suffer from rot and insect damage. The roof has been sagging for the past few years. When the west wall started to bow out, Barney said the roof had to be examined. Since the building was closed, all the books and library materials have been boxed up. The board of directors is also seeking a second opinion on the roof.

"This is sad for us because there is a lot of history in the building," Barney said. The library, at 80 High St., has been in existence since 1926. "We are right down the street from the oldest house in Glastonbury and the oldest continuously operating ferry. And our volunteers are great."

"We all have a tremendous attachment to the library," Reale said. "There are people who have been going to this library all their lives."

The library board is seeking grants for repair work that is expected to cost $300,000 to $350,000. Ernest Reale, a former library president and a member of the board, is hoping for an agreement on a roof solution so fundraising can start next month.

"We think we should be doing something," he said. "We keep clearing the snow off after storms. We just need to figure out how to attack the problem and move on."

"We all think of this as a living museum," Barney said. "People have fond memories of this building. We want to keep it going."